Safety ski

ABSTRACT

In a preferred embodiment, there is a ski having three sections from front to back axially along the elongated ski, each of the front section and rearward section being pivotable upwardly from the central section opposite ends on respective hinges and with each pivotal portion including a spring biasing the respective end section into a position axially aligned with the central portion and being pivotal of the end portions only upon excessive pressure pressing upwardly against the bottom face of the particular end portion, such as when an amateur skier falls either backwardly or forwardly, the permissive pivotal action serving possibly to avoid major leg and/or ankle injuries to such an unskilled skier, the pivoting of the end portion(s) under such circumstances avoiding undue pressure(s) on the limb(s) of the skier during the fall, but the biasing pressure of the spring(s) being sufficient to avoid the pivoting of the end portion(s) during normal skiing by such a person.

United States Patent [191 Fox 1 1 SAFETY SKI [76] Inventor: Leonard J.Fox, 43 Stratton Rd,

Scarsdale. NY. 10583 [22] Filed: Apr. 26, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 354,894

[52] U.S. Cl. 280/11.13 K; 280/1 1.13 F [51] Int. CL... A636 5/02 [58]Field of Search 280/11.13 K, 11.13 F

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,367,528 1/1945 Rollins280/11.13 K

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 112,622 l/l925 Switzerland 280/1 1.13 F

Primary E.\aminerRobert R. Song [57] ABSTRACT In a preferred embodiment,there is a ski having three [451 May 20, 1975 sections from front toback axially along the elongated ski, each of the front section andrearward section being pivotable upwardly from the central section0pposite ends on respective hinges and with each pivotal portionincluding a spring biasing the respective end section into a positionaxially aligned with the central portion and being pivotal of the endportions only upon excessive pressure pressing upwardly against thebottom face of the particular end portion such as when an amateur skierfalls either backwardly or forwardly, the permissive pivotal actionserving possibly to avoid major leg and/or ankle injuries to such anunskilled skier, the pivoting of the end portion(s) under suchcircumstances avoiding undue pressure(s) on the limb(s) of the skierduring the fall, but the biasing pressure of the spring(s) beingsufficient to avoid the pivoting of the end portion(s) during normalskiing by such a person.

6 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures PATENTEMmmms $884,315

SHEET 10F 2 J5 FIG. 2

SAFETY SKI The present invention relates to ski particularly adapted forsafe use for recreation by the inexperienced skier, or learner.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Prior to the present invention little if anyattention has been given to the problems facing the middle age personwho wishes to participate in the sport of skiing as well as any otherperson who because of the time and/or cost factors cannot avail himselfof sufficient skiing practice and experience to become a polished skierbut who nevertheless would like to participate in the sport without thepossibility of breaking himself up while having a little fun and a fewskiing thrills ofa mild nature. With the skis of the type accepted asconventional, it is very likely that such person(s) often will end upwith their ankle(s) and/or knee(s) in casts, hardly a luxury that mostpart-time skiers can afford, as well as the fact that such injuries canoften result in permanent crippling or at least lasting effects of suchinjuries throughout the remainder of their respective lives. All ofthis, or at least a good part thereof is due to the awkwardness of theunpracticed inexperienced person to gether with the fact of bonesbecoming more brittle normally in later years, as well as persons inlater years after youth becoming generally less agile. The conventionalski does not bend during a fall, it being normally the persons jointthat that becomes twisted out of the socket or the bone broken, normallybecause of incorrectly falling, but which incorrect falling normally isnot correctable in the light of the little time alloted to the sport aswell as the fact that unless a person begins skiing at an early age inlife, there is little likelihood that he will ever readily develop eventhe basic skiing skill normally necessary to avoid injury with theconventional ski.

THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is toavoid problems of the type and nature discussed above at least to amajor extent.

Another object is to make possible a fall during the wearing of skis,even with incorrect falls, without any significant possibility of injuryto the person during the fall, when skiing.

Accordingly, the above one or more objects are made possible by anotherobject which is to obtain a novel ski which avoids the priordifficulties.

Another object is to obtain the preceding objects at a low cost ofmanufacture and low cost of materials, thereby making available suchsafety ski to the general thrifty public that cannot afford highercosts.

Other objects become apparent from the preceding and followingdisclosure.

One or more of the preceding objects are obtained by the invention asdefined herein.

Broadly the invention includes a ski, obviously normally employed inpairs thereof one for each foot, in which the ski includes at least arearward portion typically starting right behind the ski-boot mountwhich is pivotable upwardly relative to a horizontal mid-portion onwhich the ski boot is mounted, such that if a skier falls backwardly,the rearward pivotable portion can remain substantially horizontal onthe ground while the mid-portion pivots upwardly relative theretoallowing the skier to fall backward in a normal manner without all ofthe stress being on the bending of the knees. In like manner theinvention includes alternatively a forward portion alone or incombination with the rearward pivotal portion, the forward portion beingsimilarly pivotally joined to the central boot-mounting portion suchthat the skier may fall forward with the aft portions of the ski comingup with the heel of the boot while the forward portion remains abouthorizontal, thus avoiding undue stress of the knees and ankles in adirection that these joints cannot bend. In each embodiment orcombination thereof, at the pivot point there is a spring preferably ofthe leaf type, but permissively also of coil type spring(s), connectedto opposing adjacent ends such to normally sustain and/or hold theadjoining ski parts in axially aligned linear positions relative to eachother and to biasingly oppose any ten dency toward the pivoting thereof,and totally avoiding pivotal motion is a downwardly direction of an endpor tion relative to the boot-mounting portion. In a preferredembodiment of the invention, there is easily inserted alternate leafspring(s) to reduce or increase the biasing resistance to pivotalmotion, as dependent upon the weight and general size of the particularskier to be using the spring. Clearly, a light person would require lessbiasing tension than a heavy person, because if a light person were tofall it would be desirable for the biasing spring to be sufficientlyweak as to permit the end pivotal portion to pivot to thereby avoid legand/or ankle injury. Similarly for a heavy person, stronger springswould be desireable within reason; it should be noted however, that evena heavy person needs to have sufficiently weak springs as to avoid unduestress on his ankles and knees if he should fall. At the same time, foreither light or heavy persons, in order for the skies to be functionalfor normal recreational skiing use, it is essential for the spring to besufficiently strong as to normally maintain the ski in the straight orlinear state during normal skiing exercises or use thereof, althoughthere is some additional benefit gained from the skis of the inventionduring skiing on a less-than-smooth terrain in that as lumps and orbumps are encountered beyond what might be normally tolerated andhandled successfully by an inexperienced skier, the permissive flexingof the end of the skias the front of the ski piv oting upwardly and onthe reflx straightening immediately thereafter serving to lift thecentral portion over the bump, the pivotal biased portion serves ineffect as a shock absorber during the skiing. It is to be understoodthat there are many othe advantages to be associated with such a safetyski, and that it is the purpose of this disclosure to merely presentbasic embodiments and some primary benefits thereof.

THE FIGURES FIG. 1 illustrates an elevation side view of a typical skiof the present invention, this embodiment having both forward andrearward pivotal end portions.

FIG. 2 illustrates an elevation plan view of the embodiment as takenalong lines 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view as taken along lines 33 ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4A illustrates an alternative embodiment utilizing a coil spring,illustrated in in-part view in an elevation plan view.

FIG. 4B illustrates an in-part view in a side view of the the FIG. 4Aembodiment as taken along lines 4B4B of FIG. 4A.

FIG. illustrates a crossseetional view as taken along line 55 of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 6-10 illustrate additional alternate embodiments.

In greater detail, FIGS. 1 through 3 and 5 disclose one typicalembodiment embodying various preferred features, and the FIGS. 4A and 4Billustrate an alternate embodiment. In the FIGS. 1-3 and 5 illustrate asafety ski 6 having a central portion 7 and a forward portion 8 and arearward portion 9, with respective upper and lower faces 10 and II, 12and 13, and 14 and 15 thereof. The front portion 8 is pivotably joinedwith the central protion 7 by a combination hingespring biasing meansincluding mounted on the upper face 12 the pin-holding element 16asecured by brads such as 166 and l6ee with a central aperture thereinthrough which leaf spring 161) extends and is anchored by brads 16d and16d. Similarly the central member 7 is pivotably attached and biasedaxially by element 17a, pin 17c locking the leaf-spring 17b into itsposition, and there being corresponding brads 17d and e and the like.Boot-heel mount and boot-toe mount 18a and 18b respectively are mountedon the upper face 10 of portion 7. The bottom face 15 is recessed at itsforward portion 21 to define a space 21a, and the protion 21 overlapsand lies on top of the rear portion 22 of portion 7, with a recess-space22ahaving an upright-step wall 22aa receivable of the downward-stepprojection 23 such that the projection 23 in effect locks into thestep-recess 22a. The recess 21a and corresponding forward recess 21aeach serves to prevent snow from becoming packed within the space suchthat would serve to prevent the pivotal portion when pivoted (as duringa fall) from not thereafter fully fulling straightening-outaxially-linearly.

The FIGS. 4A and 4B disclose an embodiment utilizing a more conventionalhinge together with a coil spring, including the hinge legs 24a and 24bof one element mounted on one portion, and 26a and 26b legs of anotherhinge element mounted on the other ski por tion, fastener together withpin 25 around which also is centrally mounted the, coil spring 19 withone end mounted on one portion by post b and the other end 19a mountedon post 20a.

FIGS. 6, 6A, 7, and 8 illustrate an alternate embodiment and FIGS. 8A, 9and 10 illustrate variations thereon, the Figures all being in-partviews, the FIGS. 6, 6A, and 9 being elevation side view, and FIGS. 8 &8A being a side crosssectional views and FIGS. 7 and 10 being elevationplan views. FIG. 6A is a variation on FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 and 6A illustrate forward section(s) 7/7a and rearward portion(s)9/9a mounted respectively on hinge flanges (the same in both Figures)11a and 11b pin-pivoted at 24, with bolt-nuts 29/29a and 32/32:: mountedon securing bolts such as 29/29a securable of one leaf-spring 27 ormultiple-pancaked leaf-springs 27a, 27b, and 270 in a position spacedabove and away from the top surface of the ski portions, there being aslot 34/34 in the one or more leafsprings in which the bolts 29/2941 areinserted and whereby upon the bending at pivot points 24 theleafsprings(s) are axially slidable transversly of the bolt axis byvirtue of the slot(s) thereby allowing the pivotal action at 24'; theelevated leaf-springs by being elevated serve to place thebending-flexing stress substantially evenly along the entire length ofeach leaf-spring,

rather than at the pin-point solely as is the case in the FIG. 1embodiment.

FIGS. 9 and I0 differ from FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 only in the advantageousside-flanges 37 making for less snow collection and better sliding ofthe ski when slanted onto its edge, and the hinge pivot point 24 is moreforwardly located for greater leverage.

It is to be understood that it is within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention to make such variations and modifications andsubstitutions of equivalents as would be apparent to a person ofordinary skill.

I claim:

1. A safety ski device comprising in combination: a substantiallyflat-bottomed ski strip elongated along its forward-to-rearward axis anddivided into a least a main portion and a rearward trailing portion, themain portion including boot-mount means for mounting on a top face ofthe ski strip a boot element by which a skier may foot-mount the skistrip, hinge means pivotably mounting the rearward trailing portion, andbiasing leaf-spring means including (a) mounting-structure projectionsprojecting a predetermined distance from upper faces of each of the mainportion and the rearward trailing portion to points located spaced-abovesaid upper faces and (b) at least one leaf spring fixedly mounted at oneend of its elongated axis and slidably mounted at an opposite end of itselongated axis onto and extending between said projections of the mainportion and of the rearward trailing portions respectively, said mainportion and said rearwardly trailing portion being axially aligned withone-another, the rearward trailing portion being pivotable upwardly fromthe hinge means, the leaf-spring means exerting a predetermined degreeof biasing pressure and being mounted such that biasing stress isapplied to each of the main portion and the rearward trailing portionrespectively, biasing the rearward trailing portion into a normallyabout axially aligned position, said pivotable and biased rearwardlytrailing portion being responsively pivotable to predetermined degreesin number dependent upon the amount of excessive upwardly directedpressure applied to a bottom face of the rearwardly trailing portion.

2. A safety ski device of claim 1, in which at a junction point at arearward end of said main portion and at a forward end of saidrearwardly trailing portion, one of the rearward end and the forward endoverlaps the other.

3. A safety ski device of claim 2, in which one of the overlapping endsincludes an upright projection and the other overlapping end defines anupright receptacle matably receivable of the projection lockable of themain portion and the rearwardly trailing portion against axialdisengagement and axial displacement of one relative to the other.

4. A safety ski device of claim 3, in which the ovelapping end of therearward trailing portion is above the overlapping end of the mainportion, and the trailing edge of the overlapping end of the mainportion being recessed upwardly from its bottom flat face.

5. A safety ski device of claim 4, in which said main portion includes aforward second hinge means mounted at a forward end of the main portion,and the device further including a forward flat-bottomed skistripportion axially aligned with the main portion; a rearward end of theforward portion being mounted upwardly-pivotably on said forward secondhinge means, the forward second hinge means including a second springmeans mounted relative to the rearward end of the forward ski-stripportion such that the for ward ski-strip portion is biased downwardlyinto a position normally axially aligned with the main portion under apredetermined stress against pivotal motion upwardly, the forwardski-strip portion being upwardly pivotable responsive to predeterminedamounts of excessive pressure on the under face of the forward skistripportion.

6. A safety ski device of claim 1, in which said main portion includes aforward second hinge means mounted at a forward end of the main portion,and the device further including a forward flat-bottomed skiunder apredetermined stress against pivotal motion upwardly, the forwardski-strip portion being upwardly pivotable responsive to predeterminedamounts of excessive pressure on the under face of the forward skistripportion.

1. A safety ski device comprising in combination: a substantiallyflat-bottomed ski strip elongated along its forward-to-rearward axis anddivided into a least a main portion and a rearward trailing portion, themain portion including bootmount means for mounting on a top face of theski strip a boot element by which a skier may foot-mount the ski strip,hinge means pivotably mounting the rearward trailing portion, andbiasing leaf-spring means including (a) mounting-structure projectionsprojecting a predetermined distance from upper faces of each of the mainportion and the rearward trailing portion to points located spaced-abovesaid upper faces and (b) at least one leaf spring fixedly mounted at oneend of its elongated axis and slidably mounted at an opposite end of itselongated axis onto and extending between said projections of the mainportion and of the rearward trailing portions respectively, said mainportion and said rearwardly trailing portion being axially aligned withone-another, the rearward trailing portion being pivotable upwardly fromthe hinge means, the leaf-spring means exerting a predetermined degreeof biasing pressure and being mounted such that biasing stress isapplied to each of the main portion and the rearward trailing portionrespectively, biasing the rearward trailing portion into a normallyabout axially aligned position, said pivotable and biased rearwardlytrailing portion being responsively pivotable to predetermined degreesin number dependent upon the amount of excessive upwardly directedpressure applied to a bottom face of the rearwardly trailing portion. 2.A safety ski device of claim 1, in which at a junction point at arearward end of said main portion and at a forward end of saidrearwardly trailing portion, one of the rearward end and the forward endoverlaps the other.
 3. A safety ski device of claim 2, in which one ofthe overlapping ends includes an upright projection and the otheroverlapping end defines an upright receptacle matably receivable of theprojection lockable of the main portion and the rearwardly trailingportion against axial disengagement and axial displacement of onerelative to the other.
 4. A safety ski device of claim 3, in which theovelapping end of the rearward trailing portion is above the overlappingend of the main portion, and the trailing edge of the overlapping end ofthe main portion being recessed upwardly from its bottom flat face.
 5. Asafety ski device of claim 4, in which said main portion includes aforward second hinge means mounted at a forward end of the main portion,and the device further including a forward flat-bottomed ski-stripportion axially aligned with the main portion; a rearward end of theforward portion being mounted upwardly-pivotably on said forward secondhinge means, the forward second hinge means including a second springmeans mounted relative to the rearward end of the forward ski-stripportion such that the forward ski-strip portion is biased downwardlyinto a position normally axially aligned with the main portion under apredetermined stress against pivotal motion upwardly, the forwardski-strip portion being upwardly pivotable responsive to predeterminedamounts of excessive pressure on the under face of the forward ski-stripportion.
 6. A safety ski device of claim 1, in which said main portionincludes a forward second hinge means mounted at a forward end of themain portion, and the device further including a forward flat-bottomedski-strip portion axially aligned with the main portion, a rearward endof the forward portion being mounted upwardly-pivotably on said forwardsecond hinge means, the forward second hinge means including A secondspring means mounted relative to the rearward end of the forwardski-strip portion such that the forward ski-strip portion is biaseddownwardly into a portion normally axially aligned with the main portionunder a predetermined stress against pivotal motion upwardly, theforward ski-strip portion being upwardly pivotable responsive topredetermined amounts of excessive pressure on the under face of theforward ski-strip portion.